Payback
by MonsterV
Summary: Ellis offers Nick a little payback after being saved from death by Hunter. Rated M for m/m.


Takes place before The Passing, before Ellis develops a crush on Zoey.

This was going to be a stand-alone but if enough people like it, I will make more chapters.

Campaign: Hard Rain

Rated: M for m/m sexuality.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

It had been one hell of a day. The rain seemed like it was never going to let up and would intensify to a deafening roar and cause pain when it came into contact with skin. The survivors were exhausted, taking shelter in one of the abandoned houses along the way. After dragging corpses outside and baracading the lower level's doors and windows, they sat together on pre-prepped mattresses strewn on the floor. There were only two of them and Rochelle offered to share the one she claimed with Ellis, so long as they slept feet to face.

"Okay, but my feet smell something awful." Ellis replied.

Coach complained of being 'too damn big' to share a bed with Nick, but it got him nowhere as Nick refused to sleep on the floor and the rest of the furniture in the home was used to block windows and doors or was too nasty for human use.

The house still had propane and a few measly cans in the cupboard, so Ellis managed to put some decent food together for his group, which was a surprise because the cans of leftover food were the sorts of things that families would tend to donate to the canned food drives.

"This actually doesn't taste like crap. Well done." Nick remarked. There was a compliment in that somewhere, and luckily Ellis had a positive outlook on everything. An ordinary man would have been taken aback by this comment, but the mechanic just said 'thanks'.

"Being semi-poor growing up, we had to make due. My momma said I could make a banquet out of garbage if I needed to." Ellis smiled, fond memories seeping in.

His voice was a little hoarse that evening. Earlier, he had a very close call with a Smoker. The group was stumbling their way through the corn field and as the hard rain was dying down a bit a special snuck up on the popular target. Something about the Savannah man made their mouths water. As awkward as it was to make their way through stalks of corn, it was nothing compared to keeping an eye out for an attack. Before anyone could react, one of their group was being pulled away. Had the impression of his body dragging the ground not parted the stalks and created a path, he may never have been found.

Nick was closest to the action and had to move quickly, running after the thrashing feet of his teammate. The Smoker's tongue pulled faster than the out-of-shape Italian could run and by the time he reached the special, -perched on top of the wheel line- the youngest member of the group was strung into the air and had nearly stopped thrashing as the Smoker's tongue tightened around his throat. Nick drew his gun, firing into the Smoker's head and the concussion of the shotgun blast sent it falling backward over the line, drawing its tongue tighter. Nick cut through it, letting Ellis fall. The tongue unraveled and the sudden drop to the ground caused the injured man to draw in a gasp, trying to breathe as much and as quickly as possible.

There were bruises around the young man's neck, but he'd almost forgotten completely about it. The group didn't mention it again after being assured that he was okay.

_Two Hours Later..._

Nick exhaled heavily, the nicotine calm taking place almost instantly. Coach found an unopened carton of cigarettes while they were clearing the house, and though they were not Nick's chosen brand, they would have to do. These little moments alone were what kept him sane. He stood on the covered balcony no bigger than a closet, staring out into the dark. He spent ten minutes deciding on the safety of this area. It was framed in by chain link, suggesting that someone tried to safety proof the house before abandoning it. He was in a secure area, save for parts of the roof being leaky.

"Nice night?" Ellis stepped onto the balcony as well, startling the man that was relaxed only moments ago, listening to the pitter patter of rain.

"Jesus Christ! What are you trying to do, man? Make me shit myself? Because these are my only pants. My only _expensive_ pants, Ellis." Nick snapped, pressing his back against the nearest balcony wall, on guard to kick the shit out of any non-living thing that Ellis might have been.

"Sorry. Sorry." Ellis waved a hand in apology. "I just noticed you got up. Rochelle said we need to go places in groups."

"Rochelle isn't my mom." Nick replied, annoyed that this clingy dog wouldn't stop following him.

Ellis didn't respond to that. Instead he leaned against the wall perpendicular to the one Nick leaned on. He didn't know how to react to a man like Nick. Everyone from his home-town was pretty friendly.

"This house reminds me of this one time, me and Keith were at his mom's house and she was telling him not to flush the toilet. But he thought she was just being a bitch so he flushed it and the septic tank pretty much blew up. So when he went outside to get a beer from the back fridge, he wasn't paying attention and slipped in the grass. He tumbled down the hill and was literally covered in shit-"

"Ellis, do you see the cigarette in my hand? That means I'm trying to relax. That means to shut your piehole." Nick was having none of Ellis' friendly antics.

"Okay." He answered, before the rain outside intensified again, getting to where it sounded like the bottom of Niagra Falls.

"STORM." Ellis said, pointing through the chain link.

"GO INSIDE." Nick said, as loud as he dared to speak.

"WAIT. I WANTED TO SAY 'THANKS' FOR SAVING ME TODAY." Ellis replied, starting to head in through the door before remembering what his intentions were.

"WHAT?!" Nick leaned a little closer as the sound of the rain dulled out what the other man was saying.

"I SAID THANK YOU, NICK!" Ellis stepped closer, trying to yell the point home, without yelling louder than the rain.

"WHAT?!" Nick leaned in a little more, only about a foot away from the younger man.

Ellis sighed, taking this opportunity to grip the front of Nick's suit jacket and firmly press his lips against the gambler's, the taste of tobacco present when Nick gasps, every muscle in his body stiffening in shock. Ellis pays this no mind, continuing to kiss, coaxing the other to respond to his advances. Nick stays in his relative state of surprise for the duration of the hard rain, not returning Ellis' kisses but unable to pull away. When at last the mechanic released him, Nick came to his senses.

"What the fuck, El?" He demanded, anger in the edge of his voice.

"Sorry, man. I-"

"Sorry? You just kissed me." He sputtered.

"I did."

"Why, kid?" Bewildered eyes locked on the southerner.

"Like I was saying. I wanted to thank you for earlier today-"

"So you figured jamming your tongue into my mouth would make us square?" His eyebrows furrowed, disgusted, but the angry edge was leaving his voice.

"No. I mean, I was gonna do more. If you decided to let me."

"More? I'm not gay, pal." Nick insisted, though there was a significant pause between asking, 'more' and finishing his statement.

"Me neither. I mean, this isn't something I do. I'm just don't have a lot else to offer you. You took most of the cigarettes that you said you don't even like. I mean I could give you my share but cigarettes hardly seem fitting for a 'thanks for not letting me be strangled to death'. You didn't have to eat canned green beans tonight, and I took up sleeping by Rochelle so you wouldn't lose your shit-"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick interrupted. He felt another long-winded rant coming on and did not have the patience for it.

"I want to make you feel good, Nick."

Nick wasn't lying. He wasn't gay, but Ellis's words sent a shock of arousal throughout his body, pooling it in his crotch. It had been nearly three weeks since this outbreak, and he had been so tired after surviving another day that he hadn't had any release. As far as his sex life, it was a nearly two month dry spell while he did a stint in county jail. But really? Was he so desperate to get off that he was willing to use Ellis? A guy? Not just a guy, but _the_ guy that annoyed the crap out of him on several occasions.

"What did you have in mind?" Nick was fidgeting, scratching the back of his head, debating in his own mind whether he was actually considering this.

"I don't know. I'll try some things, I guess." Ellis' cheeks reddened.

"You're not fuckin me, alright?" Nick asserted.

"No, that's not what I was thinkin. According to my buddy Dave, who had a brother that went to prison, it hurts bad if you don't know what you're doing. And we don't really...Lemme put it this way. If you say 'stop' I'll stop right away. Deal?"

…

…

…

"Deal." Nick said finally, still shifting away his discomfort. He had no trouble with women. In fact he was very successful with getting girlfriends or one-nighters, but this was not one of those moments. This was new. Nick didn't like when things were new and variable in their outcome.

"This-" Nick started after another long silence, "isn't something you can go around babbling about, Motor Mouth. I mean, this is only going to happen once."

"I know. Its just between you and me. It can be a secret. I don't really want anyone to know either." Ellis was looking at the wood planks of the balcony now, rather than at Nick.

"Good, because I swear if you try to hold my hand and shit in front of the others, I will knock the shit out of you. I mean it. One ruffle of my hair, one jealous bitchy moment, not so much as one-"

"Jesus, I'm not a girl, man." Ellis cut him off, to which Nick paused, then gave one curt nod of mutual understanding.

Ellis chewed at his lower lip before experimentally closing the space between he and Nick, drawing in toward his mouth for another kiss. Nick turned his head away at the last moment and though he didn't say anything, Ellis gathered that he wasn't terribly comfortable with the intimate act of a mouth to mouth kiss. The southerner changed his course, placing slow kisses up Nick's jawbone to his ear. He trailed from there to his neck, sucking and nibbling the flushed skin as Nick's pulse jumped under his touch. He smiled, his arms wrapped loosely around the older man, hands roaming up and down Nick's body before unfastening the buttons of his shirt. Cool hands now traced over a warm torso as the gambler's shirt and jacket sagged down one arm. Ellis took advantage of this by letting his mouth explore the exposed shoulder while his fingers stopped at Nick's ribs.

He tested his limits by brushing the crotch of his pants against Nick's, pleased to hear the other exhale sharply through his nose. He continued his descent, trailing lips, tongue, and teeth down his teammate's chest. He paused on his way down to tease the conman's sensitive nipples, flicking his tongue over each before nipping. An almost inaudible groan escaped Nick's throat as his hand pushed off Ellis's hat and gripped a handful of hair. His back arched ever so slightly into the pleasure that he was quickly losing the battle for control against.

Prompted by a tug at his hair, Ellis sunk onto the floor and made his way down to the waistband of Nick's pants, able to taste sweat on the older man's skin. The lot of them hadn't actually bathed in four days, not since Rochelle found that truckstop bathroom with showers that still worked. It wasn't expected for Nick to taste like flowers, nor to smell like cinnamon. They were both dirty and the most primal part of Ellis liked it. Nick's scent and those sweet sighs he released were enough to cause the mechanic's pants to tighten.

The two briefly made eye contact and Ellis smirked with just one corner of his mouth before unbuckling Nick's belt. At the feather-light touches, the conman's hips pressed forward, unconsciously searching for more friction while the younger man's fingers worked open the hook and zipper of his slacks. The material fell open and sagged at his thighs, revealing silky, tented underwear that were already becoming damp with neglect in one area.

Breaking past a new barrier, Ellis flattened his palm over Nick's cloth cased erection, meeting the pressure of the man's hips with even pressing of his hand. His palm moved up and down, massaging and kneading the engorged lump he so desperately wanted to see. He felt the Nick's erection twitch and jump under his hand, and continued this gentle touch as he kissed and ran his tongue over the curve of the gambler's hip bone. His free hand peeled down the right side of the man's underwear to allow his mouth more freedom over Nick's skin. He kissed and tasted each new inch of flesh until there was nothing available that wasn't covered.

Ellis' fingertips dipped into the band of Nick's underwear, pausing and waiting for protest before slowly pulling away the fabric, pushing it as well as the now off-white slacks all the way down, taking a moment to observe the glory that was Nick's body, flushed and aroused just for him. This was it. Ellis was mere moments from giving Nick the only thanks he could muster during the outbreak, pleasure when pain was a daily promise. This wasn't just thanks, Ellis wanted to do this. He admitted only to himself that his soft spot for Nick might have been more than platonic.

Realizing he'd spent too much time staring at his teammate's genitals like a freak, -judging by Nick's uncomfortable shifting- Ellis mustered up the courage to take action. His lips pressed tentatively to the tip of Nick's cock. Just one kiss before drawing back, then another kiss. He slid his tongue out this time, tasting the bead of precome that moistened his lips before sinking his mouth onto the engorgment he created.

A surprised sigh escaped Nick at the sudden heat that engulfed the most over-stimulated part of his body. Ellis was taking in as much as his mouth could comfortably hold before pulling back and running his tongue up the veins on the underside. He was testing the waters, and his inexperience was obvious, but he was making an astounding effort. His hand wrapped around the base of Nick's cock to steady it while his mouth slid over it, taking it in and then changing angles, pace, and degree of suction until developing a comfortable rhythm.

It was a slow beginning, but having gone so long without getting off, pleasure was quickly building. In this state, Ellis' lips felt just like what a girl would feel like. At this point, was able to look down at the southern man, watch that warm mouth go to town on him. He was able to tighten his grip on the man's hair and allow his hips to buck forward and not give a damn that he was with a man. This may not have been the best blowjob he'd ever had, but it may very well be his last, and he couldn't deny that it felt good, borderline great. He could, however, deny the reason why he controlled the thrusts of his hips as soon as Ellis gagged. With the bruises still fresh around the mechanic's neck, this could have been unpleasant for him, and yet he wasn't complaining. Never in a million years would he admit that he fought his naturally violent tendancies because he simply had no desire to hurt Ellis.

Ellis had become comfortable with what he was doing, falling into a rhythm that had Nick unable to hold back quiet moans, blending in with the obscene sucking noises in the air. Through careful experiments, he managed to mimic what the gambler liked with only the hints he was giving off when words failed.

"_Fuck, El." _Nick sighed.

His hand unintentionally trapping Ellis' head from moving with the grip he had in the mechanic's sweaty hair. Arousal was building and it was becoming harder and harder to still his thrusts. Ellis countered this force by placing his left hand into Nick's hip, preventing it from moving too far forward. His airway was still tight and even this gave him a light feeling in his head.

A vibrating sensation began intensifying around Nick's erection, stimulating something inside that shocked every nerve ending. Focusing, trying to pinpoint the source of this vibration, Nick stilled. Soft moans were lost in the sound of the rain falling, but they were not Nick's moans. They were Ellis'. He felt them, and he heard them and as he eyed the man on the floor before him, he understood. Ellis liked this. His right arm was moving in time with his moans and his legs were clenching and releasing. Nick didn't have the best vantage point with Ellis' head in the way but it was clear the man's pants were down to his knees. He was masturbating over performing oral sex on his friend and drawing such erotic responses from him.

"_I'm close." _

Nick was barely able to say it before orgasm took over his brain, reducing him to a panting, thrusting mess. _"Ellis...I-" _He couldn't think. He couldn't do anything save for riding out the waves of pleasure as he filled the younger man's mouth, only letting go of Ellis' hair once he'd completely finished and started coming back to his senses. His vision was clearing and his breathing was returning to normal, vaguely aware of the sight before him.

Ellis was still sitting on the floor, left hand supporting his weight while his free hand continued to pump the well endowed length between his legs, this time in full view. He was a gorgeous sight to behold, soft tan, muscular body, glazed eyes, blown pupils.

"_Nick..."_ he barely rasped, _"Mmm, God Nick...please look at me...I'm- shit, I'm coming for you..."_ He curled forward, soft moans becoming desperate and needy. His hand vigorously jerked and spasms took over his body as wave after wave of ecstasy rolled over him, coating his thighs and belly with semen.

When the remarkable high of the moment started to fade, Nick started to re-dress himself. Ellis, on the other hand, pulled himself unsteadily to his feet and used rain water to wash away the mess he just made.

"Damn, I'm glad you didn't save me." Nick said, trying to lighten the mood, "Choking on that monster you have there wouldn't be my choice of spending an evening."

Ellis blushed, pulling up his pants.

"Did you take some of those internet pills?" Nick was curious and honestly feeling a bit out of sorts and confused now that arousal wasn't hazing his brain.

"Internet pills? No. I guess it must be the hormone and pestcide-free food I grew up with." Ellis brushed off this bombarding comment regarding his body. He wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a compliment or a comparison to something freakish.

"Fucking vegans."

"I don't even know what that is, but it's probably mean. You should be nicer to me, considering I got a belly ache over you." Ellis grumbled.

"You swallowed?" Nick smirked.

"You made me."

A pang of guilt. Nick _did_ make him swallow, controlling his head the way he did. It wasn't intentional, but the younger man couldn't move, much less spit.

"You're supposed to hold it in your mouth and spit when I let go."

"Well, I didn't know. I wasn't up to speed that there was protocol on sucking dicks." came a raspy reply.

"Hey, I didn't-" Nick started a sincere apology.

"I know. I aint mad. This goo just aint agreeing with me." the southerner replied.

In an odd hybrid of shame and gratitude that Nick was not accustomed to, he allowed his judgment to lapse enough to lean in and kiss Ellis, just once on the mouth, swollen pretty lips melding into his for just a moment before they pulled away with a _'pop'._

"Thanks, Nick."

"Yep."


End file.
